Transcatheter fiberoptic laser coagulation of blood vessels.

In ten rabbit ears the central auricular artery was percutaneously catheterized and subjected to doses of laser energy transmitted through a flexible optical fiber within the artery. Arterial occlusion was not produced in the initial three ears using energy levels less than 600 mW. Higher levels of laser energy, in the range of 800-1000 mW, caused arterial coagulation in six of the remaining seven rabbit ears. Serial observations by transillumination of the ears, postmortem angiography, and histologic examination demonstrated complete arterial ablation. The experiments showed that segmental arterial ablation is feasible using an intra-arterial optical fiber to direct laser energy to a specific arterial target. Technical refinements and potential therapeutic application are discussed.